Murder attempts, a staged death, a host of suspects, and one massive acquisition. Grandy’s twisty debut offers compelling thriller twists as Tom Oliver, the CEO of the Toronto tech company Pellucid, is on the verge of being acquired by a Silicon Valley giant for serious money. Tom’s a hardworking leader, determined to keep Pellucid thriving while trying to salvage his relationships with his alcoholic brother and his uptight wife and her father, hailing from an Evangelical North Carolina family. After an apparent attack on his life, Tom confides to his best friend, a detective named Liu, that he fears he’s being followed, and Tom’s world shifts into a state of high alert. The only place Tom finds solace is on horseback, riding his beloved Titan. But this peaceful escape leads to another attempt on his life—one that might succeed in ending it.

With Tom out of the picture, Grandy weaves a surprising thriller that lives up to its title, with a complex cast of perspective characters, each thoroughly developed and compelling. The storytelling is brisk but attentive to contemporary cultural divides—Miriam’s father, James, considers Canadians too casual and muses there’s “no room in his world for a namby-pamby liberal like Tom.” While the prose tends toward the flatly declarative, the cleverly plotted mystery will keep fans of corporate and personal skullduggery hooked until the dramatic, action-packed finale. Grandy blends traditional mystery elements—Liu peruses a wall of suspects and considers each’s motives—with 21st century tricks. Grandy also convincingly brings life to Toronto’s tech scene and, more crucially, how the minds of its leaders work, clearly reflecting the author's own experience in the industry.

The story also delves into themes of COVID-19 and American politics, which might resonate deeply with some readers while feeling divisive to others, depending on personal perspectives. Overall, it's a thrilling and well-crafted read that will captivate fans of tech-driven mysteries.

Takeaway: Smart mystery of a tech CEO, tangled schemes, and many suspects.

Comparable Titles: Christopher Reich’s The First Billion, Chandler Baker’s Whisper Network.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-

Click here for more about Devious Web

Blaine’s searching, swaggeringly ambitious debut, a philosophical thriller imagining a deadly art-world revolution, comes wrapped in prankish security-state trappings certain to confound unwary readers. The text offers “classified” stamp-marks, occasional black-out redactions, excerpts from DOD/FBI intelligence docs, and editor’s notes claiming the manuscript was discovered during “the infamous raid at the Trump residence in Florida”—and that the text “is full of errors.” That text, for the most part, purports to be the journal of Amadeo Effscott, an American poet, spy, and ex-Marine, burnt out after the first Gulf War, searching for meaning and inspiration in Paris. He discovers both in artist Sean Dorian Knight, who praises Amadeo’s verses, espouses radical theories with rare charisma … and whose big opening in Paris will prove literally explosive.

Blaine captures Dorian’s disgust at the economics of the art world in compelling rants. “It’s high time we hold those presently living and responsible for our misery and enslavement to the museum system accountable or let them make their own sacrifice in blood,” Dorian declares. Amid lengthy, sometimes electric discussions of art, money, and divinity, Amadeo falls in love with an Afghani woman in Dorian’s orbit—a woman who warns him she’s under constant surveillance by forces from back home who will kill if she is too close to man—and is tasked by his hilariously profane American handler with gathering DNA from the Paris circle whose friendship gives him life.

There’s much more happening in this thoughtful-but-overstuffed novel, including a “Doomsday painting,” rumors of an antichrist figure, and the rise of a murderous Dorian cult destroying history’s great artworks. Sharp, heady dialogue and themes of creation/destruction, art/finance, and revolution/terrorism all fascinate, but the twisty, time-vaulting structure is frustrating and a challenging to keep up with, and the prose’s density tends to squash momentum and clarity. Still, there’s much promise here.

Takeaway: Hugely ambitious philosophical thriller of art, finance, and revolution.

Comparable Titles: Peter Weiss’s The Aesthetics of the Resistance, Rachel Kushner’s The Flamethrowers.

Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: B-
Marketing copy: B

Click here for more about American Renaissance, Book 1: Missions Dangerous

Warning that the baby boom is turning towards a baby bust, investment analyst Ismail sounds the alarm on diminishing birth rates and their projected impact in the coming decades, with an emphasis on the economic effects, especially shortages of “essential workers” in many nations. Ismail offers data-driven extrapolations of trends that could lead to “incredible challenges, unlike anything we have experienced in modern history,” andquick fictionalized tastes of the life of a woman named Eva at some indeterminate time in our future. Eva’s world “seems quieter and less ambitious” than it used to, especially after her retirement at age 75 and her city’s infrastructure crumbling around her. Her robo-cleaner Annie seems cool, though.

Most of Age of Decay, however, is penned as straight-ahead forecast of how, starting around 2020, the era of continual growth gave way to a new age of “continuous contraction and decline.” With case studies of nations like Japan and Italy, Ismail shows the work behind his dire warnings of declining living standards, a shrinking tax base, continual shortages, and even a decline in institutional memory at businesses. Ismail’ persuasively demonstrates that it is likely that many nations will hit a “tipping point where they have too few essential workers to keep their societies functioning optimally.” Also convincing: his insistence that tech won’t solve all problems: “How do you automate nursing care for the aged,” he asks, “which requires compassion and interpersonal engagement?” Less persuasive is the argument that young workers’ tendency to change jobs suggests a lack of ambition in workers themselves.

Setting Age of Decay apart from some works about declining birth rates is Ismail’s embrace of immigration as a source of both workers and consumers, especially from Africa, whose “growing prominence and influence … on the future world stage cannot be overstated.” He warns that “populist political sentiment against immigration” in the U.S. could cause the nation “to lose its current advantage in worker-aged population.”

Takeaway: Alarming forecast of the impact of declining birth rates on economies and societies.

Comparable Titles: Darrell Bricker and John Ibbitson’s Empty Planet, Dustin Whitney’s Demographic Deception.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A-

Click here for more about The Age of Decay

In this heart-wrenching debut, Duff reflects on her own traumatic childhood while reading through her husband’s deceased daughter Gretchen’s journals, drawing multiple parallels between the two lives and discovering “not so much safety but freedom. Freedom from fear” in the process. Gretchen, who died by suicide at 24 years old, whispers strange similarities to Duff through her writing: both women are fueled by regret, driven by feelings of inadequacy, and haunted by their pasts. The journal entries are emotive, allowing Duff to sift through her own memories, some of which are repressed, and lean on her faith while working to uncover her long-buried family secrets.

Duff's writing is intimate and reverent as she examines Gretchen's secret truths—and her own. "Perhaps by reading Gretchen’s journals and delving into the past, I would find what I longed for,” Duff proclaims, and, once she decides to embark on the emotionally taxing journey of reading Gretchen's left-behind words, that wish comes true. She reflects on unfathomable, violent trauma from her childhood and its connection to her relationship with her husband, adult children, and her parents, linking her need for self-discovery and healing to the past’s shrouded secrets, while pressing into her unwavering faith to finally make peace and settle into a place she can truly call home.

"Gretchen scared me because her honesty exposed my dishonesty," Duff writes, and the memoir brims with her realizations that moving forward often hinges on digging into the past. Her efforts, though painful, are rewarded, as she comes to terms with the darkness and emerges stronger on the other side. These powerful parallel stories are captivating—and at times emotionally devastating—as Duff sludges through understanding, acceptance, and letting go. “Asking questions—doubting if you will—is part of the mysterious process of bringing truth to light,” she observes—powerful parting words that will linger in readers’ minds.

Takeaway: Emotional memoir examining mental illness, faith, and repressed family secrets.

Comparable Titles: Amanda Stern's Little Panic, Meg Kissinger's While You Were Out.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-

Click here for more about Wisdom Builds Her House

Gilbert’s latest work (after his Amanda Pennyworth series) chronicles the last days of Richard Collins and his dysfunctional family of three sons—Seth, Deck, and Nick—along with his wife, Grace. Time is limited, and Richard is determined to make one last bid to inspire his sons to success, but his modus operandi—an exclusionary will that donates most of his considerable wealth to sources other than his sons—leaves the family reeling. When Richard gathers his offspring together, undercurrents run high, and, after revealing his will’s contents, he collapses, leading to his hospitalization and further deterioration—a development that plunges the family into a jumble of bickering, resentment, and, ultimately, a form of redemption.

Gilbert’s prose deftly captures the complexities of the family’s fraught relationships, forging relatable friction that brings their underlying dynamics into the spotlight. Grace, forced to cope not just with a terminally ill husband but also with regret at having allowed herself to live a limited life, treads the dangerous waters of rebellion against what she views as her husband’s unreasonable decisions, while each son’s perspective paints a different side of a domineering, rigid father, insistent that his children learn to manage their own lives, even as he refuses to be sent to “a house of the dying” when his health becomes too challenging to manage at home.

Reunion by the Lake favors the slow burn of family discord over more defined climactic scenes, and readers may wonder at the childhood incidents that led to the family’s fractured relationships as adults. Still, their frayed bonds are engrossing, marked by complex mindscapes and intricate layers of mistrust, bitterness, and self-pity that lend the narrative a tremulous feel. Though eruption feels just around the corner in nearly every scene, Gilbert chooses to end the story on a more positive note, leaving readers with a hopeful antidote in contrast to the novel’s smoldering beginnings.

Takeaway: Family dysfunction takes center stage when a dying father discloses his will.

Comparable Titles: Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney’s The Nest, Jami Attenberg’s The Middlesteins.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about REUNION BY THE LAKE

Sandvig’s debut, based on true historical events and people, resurrects a forgotten chapter of American history through the compelling story of Emilie Ferguson, a young woman caught between her Scottish and Dakota heritage. From the outset, Emilie wrestles with her father’s European ideals while staying rooted in her mother’s Dakota traditions. Though alienated in both worlds, she finds solace in her homeland—peaceful mornings in the tipi, festive tribe gatherings, bison hunts, and unique courtship rituals. Nature plays a significant role as Sandvig captures, with sheer sensitivity, the beauty of the Dakota lifestyle. But when the 1851 treaty fails and railroads invade the land, Emilie witnesses her once-serene homeland become a battleground for the bloodiest conflict in Native America: the 1862 U.S.-Dakota War.

With historical astuteness, Sandvig portrays the Dakota revolt as a last stand against years of disenfranchisement and displacement. Readers witness the gut-wrenching aftermath of the conflict—burned settlements and innocent settlers, hanged men, and the gruesome internment of women and children at Fort Snelling. Emilie’s journey—heavy-heartedly leaving her mother to search for her missing father, despite the looming threat of Dakota warriors hunting mixed-bloods, and discovering long-buried family secrets along the way—teems with courage, as she continues to forge her identity and champion justice with an indomitable spirit, amid the violence and grief of losing her loved ones, freedom, and home.

Though certain subplots, such as Paltrey's opportunistic schemes, feel underdeveloped, they underscore the moral ambiguities of war and the selfish exploitation it breeds. More than a story of territorial dispute, this novel delves into the threat of cultural erasure and how injustice fuels hatred. Emilie’s moral dilemma—“But who were the wicked?... Whites who took our land in the first place? Or Dakota warriors who slaughtered innocent settlers and stole our peace?”—resonates deeply, yet Sandvig balances this with an underlying message of cultural preservation, survival, forgiveness, and hope.

Takeaway: Profound tribute to devastating history of the Dakota community.

Comparable Titles: Linda Hogan’s Mean Spirit, Louise Erdrich’s Love Medicine.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about The Girl in the Thistles

This second installment in Wagner-Wright’s Salem Stories (after Ambition, Arrogance & Pride) chronicles the ambitious rivalry between two prominent merchant families as they build their shipping empires in Salem. The Crowninshields and the Derbys, two of Salem’s wealthiest families, are locked in a tense expansion battle, with Captain Crowninshield’s first two sons, Edward and Geordie, a study of contrasts—Edward longs for a life far from sea, but Geordie cannot envision his days without it—while the Derby family patriarch is at odds with his ambitious son, Elias. Readers will be swept into the families’ turmoil, set against the backdrop of a transformative period when the United States is shaping its constitution and Europe is embroiled in conflict.

Wagner-Wright paints a vivid picture of late 18th century America, offering rich details of daily life and society amid the story’s broader themes of commerce, competition, and personal ambition. Her adept use of technical maritime language highlights the novel’s many voyages, allowing readers an inside seat to the coastal runs and whipping storms that characterized a merchant’s life in the 1700s, and detailed descriptions of trade routes, major ports, and the goods exchanged provide a compelling backdrop. Likewise, Wagner-Wright’s inclusion of historical embargoes—and their impact on maritime families—seamlessly weaves into the story, threading layers of complexity into the plot.

Each chapter delves into the lives of its ensemble cast, revealing the individual struggles of characters like Nathaniel West and Lizzie Rowell, as they navigate the unpredictable, dangerous, but strangely rewarding life of 18th century Salem, strikingly portrayed in one captain’s words after a devastating storm blows his ship miles off course: “If I fail, I’m no worse off than I am now, but if I succeed, I’ll prove myself.” The book’s pacing may not be relentless, but Wagner-Wright’s careful adherence to historical events and the personal dramas behind them makes it a worthy read.

Takeaway: In-depth study of Salem’s maritime families in the late 18th century.

Comparable Titles: Anya Seton’s The Winthrop Woman, Paul C.R. Monk’s Call of Freedom.

Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Sea Tigers & Merchants

After a failed attempt to take her life, doctor-turned-author Neighbors finds herself a "prisoner in paradise," watching the serene Hawaiian waves crash in stark contrast to her internal misery. Desperate to break free from her tormented mind, she turns to the only lifeline she has left: writing her way out. With razor-sharp prose cutting the facade of her idyllic surroundings, Neighbors exposes the darkest moments of her life: her father's death, the sting of her mother's blame, a marriage in shambles, and an all-consuming battle with addiction. All this unfolds during her medical residency, a world "where people are allegedly supposed to heal each other" as Neighbors puts it, but which, in reality, is poisoned by harassment, cutthroat competition, and systemic discrimination.

Poignant, brutal, and unflinchingly honest words bleed onto every page as Neighbors spares nothing—recounting an affair with a married man, receiving unfair probation and false accusations, and struggling with bouts of depression and paranoia. Her disarming candor about her guilt and imperfections—having a privileged background, self-sabotaging, self-loathing—are often painful to read, but her straightforwardness offers a merciless clarity on how addiction and impulsive decisions are merely misguided escapes from a "never-ending battle" with oneself, so often rooted in trauma, familial neglect, misjudgment, and mistreatment.

The fragmented prose jumps from memory to memory and may confuse some readers, but it mirrors the mania, paranoia, and sheer magnitude of problems that Neighbors contends with, suggesting how healing is never linear. Her story, both a candid confession of the courage it takes to embrace life's imperfections and a fierce fight for the truth, proves how "everyone has a degree of mental illness," even those who seem to have it all. This unapologetically unfiltered memoir empowers, imparting resilience and a raw plea to be kind—to others, but most especially, to ourselves.

Takeaway: Razor-sharp memoir about battling mental illness amid heavy external pressures.

Comparable Titles: Kay Redfield Jamison's An Unquiet Mind, Jamie Blaine and Vicky Lanzone’s Life Is Crazy and We’re All Going to Die.

Production grades
Cover: B-
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A-

Click here for more about TOO MUCH

Adams-Dufresne’s accomplished, engaging debut transports readers to the moon in the late 21st century, where abandoned lunar colonies have evolved into a gritty megacity known as the Dive. In this domed bureaucracy, individuals who can afford high-tech body enhancements thrive, while the less fortunate struggle to survive in the dark corners of the moon’s industrial landscape. At the heart of the story is Tonic, a musician whose already crumbling career spirals into chaos when her song unexpectedly appears on the playlist of a neuro-terrorist. A blend of flesh and metal, Tonic projects a tough exterior yet grapples with deep insecurities about her identity and fading humanity. Her romantic and professional partner, Fé, provides much-needed stability, while her manager, Amara, serves as a constant reminder of the pressures of the music industry—financial struggles, reputation and the consequences of failure.

The moon’s dystopian conflicts, like the culture, biotech, and everyday challenges of lunar life, extrapolate from contemporary concerns in resonant ways. As Tonic's music becomes associated with violence, the manipulative chairman of the corporation Nox exploits her growing debt, coercing her into increasingly dangerous and illegal activities. Desperate Tonic delves into the Dive, where she crosses paths with Kaet, a graffiti artist, and his ex, Blau, a hacker, as they uncover dark secrets about Nox. Revealing the streets of the Dive, concert venues, underground networks, and more, the narrative paints a haunting picture of a society that has lost touch with its humanity—a humanity that Adams-Dufresne centers, even as the mystery grows tense.

Color of a Mirror excels in world-building and delving into the psychological complexities of its fascinating characters. The plot occasionally takes a backseat to atmosphere and character, as sensory-rich prose vividly brings to life the sights, sounds, and emotions experienced through Tonic’s visor. Lovers of thoughtful SF and cyberpunk will relish this compelling tale that grapples with themes of identity, corporate greed, and the relentless struggle for personal autonomy.

Takeaway: Striking and humane SF mystery on the moon in the late 21st century.

Comparable Titles: Charlie Jane Anders’s The City in the Middle of the Night, David Pedreira’s Gunpowder Moon.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Color of a Mirror

Damon’s intriguing murder mystery debut (the author has previously written under the name Margaret Brownley) starts when the legal thrills come to an end: after the evidence is presented and the verdict is given on a high-profile murder trial, 12 jurors exit the courthouse together, certain they are headed back to their lives of anonymity. Three months later, four of them are dead, all from apparent accidents. Four of the remaining jurors—Harold, CeeCee, Alex, and Helen—believe it’s the work of a serial killer and, despite their somewhat dislike of each other, band together, vowing to catch the killer before they strike again.

Using alternating points-of-view, Damon concisely and efficiently introduces the four main characters, with quick, vividly detailed opening chapters that immediately draw readers in. None of the featured four are doing particularly well in their own lives—Harold is an insecure man with a failing business and a failing marriage, exotic dancer CeeCee just wants the funds to open her own spa, Alex is struggling as an actor and writer, and Helen, a curmudgeonly older woman, feels disconnected from a world that has moved on without her—but their common fear, that they could be next on the killer’s list, unites them. In addition to the external tension of jurors rapidly disappearing, the ensemble cast keeps readers on their toes, with constant bickering and infighting that make this band of unlikely sleuths strangely likable.

Between the zany moments, quick thinking to get out of sticky situations, and humorous gaffs of amateur detectives, readers will relish this roller coaster ride, though some of the story’s descriptions—references to CeeCee paint her as empty but conniving, with “eye-popping boobs, the size of melons” while Helen is branded a “titty bar reject” in one scene—distract from the central mystery’s flair. Still, this an entertaining, worthwhile whodunnit with a truly enticing cast.

Takeaway: Quick, engaging mystery of amateur detectives tracking down a serial killer.

Comparable Titles: Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club, Benjamin Stevenson’s Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone.

Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: B-
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Jury Duty is Murder

Duncan MacEwan, a retired firefighter, faces the most bewildering phase of his life following his wife Deborah's sudden death in a fiery car crash. The initial wash of grief turns into shock and suspicion when Duncan finds a trove of spy gear in their attic: fake passports, a Sig Sauer pistol, wads of cash, a thumb drive, an old key, and a Bible bookmarked with a bizarre string of numbers. This spine-tingling revelation catapults him to an intriguing and paranoia-fueled investigation as Oster (author of The Sleeper List) explores themes of secrecy, betrayal, and the quest for truth, following Duncan's tortuous journey of discovering that the woman he loved may have been living a double life hidden from him.

Suspense builds as Duncan teams up with his tech-savvy friend, Tesla, who cracks open the doors to a world of international espionage and cyber warfare more intricate and dangerous than Duncan ever imagined. Oster's writing shines with its seamless integration of spy drama, geopolitical strife, and technological elements, with the inclusion of real-world cyber threats like the notorious Stuxnet virus and cameos from infamous CIA operatives Philip Agee and Aldrich Ames that lend the narrative a cinematic feel. The spy intrigue is top-notch, but Oster’s heavy lean on espionage framework and straightforward monologue sidelines the more nuanced emotional undertones of Duncan's grief and frustration. Still, it is that trade-off that ramps up the tension, as Duncan's persistent, no-holds-barred pursuit of answers leaves readers with the same gnawing question: was Deborah a hero or a villain?

Oster crafts a pulse-pounding, action-powered narrative, all while navigating the convoluted and deceptive world of espionage, the gray areas of morality, and the idea of complete transparency in marriage, making this high-stakes thriller both charged and contemplative. Readers will find themselves rooting for Duncan's clarity and closure until the end.

Takeaway: High-stakes spy thriller built on themes of marriage and betrayal.

Comparable Titles: Chris Pavone's The Expats, Olen Steinhauer's The Tourist.

Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A-

Click here for more about The Man Who Fell in Love With His Wife

This delightful tale, based on Tacreiter’s real-life experiences, shares the story of a special cow herd that inspired Tacreiter to establish The Cow Sanctuary—a New Jersey farm serving as a sanctuary for livestock. The book follows Helga, a farmer who adores cows of every shape and size, as she caretakes the calves on her farm and mourns their loss every year when they are taken away to be sold. One year, when a storm strikes the farm, a group of cows are injured when the tree they’re sheltered beneath is downed by lightning. Helga takes six orphaned calves under her wing, promising herself she will give them “extra kisses, hugs, songs, and treats.”

The star of that herd turns out to be Harvey, a black calf who, after the storm, can’t seem to recuperate—his gait is off, and he can’t eat without help. Helga makes it her personal mission to nurse Harvey back to health, and her care is sweet to behold, as she hand feeds him, walks beside him to retrain his stride, and snuggles him into recovery. Young readers will treasure that close bond and cheer out loud when Harvey moos for the first time. Helga is soon motivated to “find a safe place” for Harvey and the other calves, launching her business idea to sew “cowches”—cow-shaped couches to fund her own farm. That takes off, and after a lot of hard work, Helga opens The Cow Sanctuary.

Denise Tremblay’s illustrations beautifully render the calves’ expressive eyes and playful antics, and the song refrain shared throughout—“Hey, hey, babies, I wish I could change the world"—transforms into a mantra for animal conservation by the book’s end. Tacreiter, with the help of PETA, closes with opportunities for readers to become animal stewards themselves, a fitting conclusion for this animal-friendly tale.

Takeaway: Conservation-minded tale of a farmer determined to save orphaned calves.

Comparable Titles: Jessica Stremer’s Lights Out, Zoe Tucker’s Greta and the Giants.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Harvey and the Lightning Herd

Adams makes her nonfiction debut with a comprehensive resource guide for authors, brimming with fun exercises and actionable advice to “draw out rich, imaginative stories even from the most reluctant of writers.” Using her seven-step method that focuses on different writing accomplishments for every day of the week—from generating ideas to creating drafts—Adams lays the groundwork for readers to learn, and practice, clever ideas and disciplined methods guaranteed to pay off, acknowledging that while one week is not enough time to complete a novel, readers who follow her advice will, at a minimum, understand the steps it takes to get there.

This is a resource that writers will consistently reference and return to, whether it’s to conquer writer’s block, gain new perspectives on character and plot development, or learn the value of rest when completing a novel. “Method, momentum, and motivation are what I believe you need whether you’re starting from scratch, hopelessly stuck, or deciding to get back to it” Adams writes, and each of her workshop days is structured for noticeable results: the guidance starts with a warm up exercise before moving on to core activities, and Adams closes each lesson with a writing cool down (referring to them as “stretches”).

The possibilities Adams presents will intrigue as much as they excite; one stretch exercise involves curating synonym lists for overused words, while Adams employs more involved methods when it comes to core assignments, like her 500/500 challenge to generate 500 new words a day, or the creative idea of a mini storyboard to better conceptualize the beginning, middle, and end of a novel. Adam's upbeat, positive tone removes pressure while inspiring creativity, and aspiring writers will take away fresh ideas sure to help them put pen to paper and move one step closer to completing their manuscript.

Takeaway: Fun, interactive writing resource to spark creativity and conquer writer’s block.

Comparable Titles: Matthew Salesses’s Craft in the Real World, Mur Lafferty's I Should Be Writing.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about The One Week Writing Workshop

Blending coming-of-age fantasy, impressive subterranean worldbuilding, a sense of the mythic, and the occasional dash of Chaucerian stories-within-stories, Finch’s surprising debut is set in a world recognizable as ours—but below it, in its strangest shadows. Lucas Devlin has never been a normal teen, even though he went to a regular Aboveworld school and believed he had normal friends. But in truth he has been training for the day that he would take over the “family business”—serving as a Seeker with the Darktouched. Just after his high school graduation, he finds his life shattering into pieces when Lightborne Reclaimers find his home and take his father. Lucas is guided underground into the Abzu Complex, an otherworldly city, where he must continue his training while discovering the past of the Darktouched (they once rode great serpents) and their terrifying battle with the Lightborne.

Along the way, Lucas—known as Arden, down below—finds himself facing Ancient beings, searching for an exile, and facing tense dangers and mysteries. Finch’s approach to fantasy emphasizes light and dark, underground and otherworldly explorations, and a surprising mix of science, technology, myth, multi-cultural practices, and folklore, with stories of the ancient conflict, covenants, and creatures, often shared in mythic monologues or archaic texts. Readers will appreciate the engaging tour of this strange new world as Lucas uncovers the stories of how he came to be a Darktouched, the origins of the Darktouched society itself, and where he belongs within it.

Despite the novelty of the setting, Finch creates a relatable life for Lucas, a Child of Shadow, in this world of Darknames and Abovenames, ferrybots and weird KALM gear for traveling in the dark, a long-ago “Reshaping,” and persuasively cool games and sports. As Lucas finds himself getting closer to the answers that not even the oldest living Darktouched know, he discovers that his purpose is bigger than any could imagine–but readers eager to know what will have to wait for book two.

Takeaway: Inventive YA fantasy of ancient conflicts and underground culture.

Comparable Titles: Roderick Gordon’s Tunnels, T. Kingfisher’s The Hollow Places.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Light's Shadow

Authors Navarro and Thornton-Cornejo craft a loving tribute to their father, Walter Thornton—a pioneer in modeling during Hollywood’s glamour age—in this rich historical debut. Thornton, who launched the career of countless models and actors in the 1930s and ‘40s, was largely unknown to his family as a man “at the very top tier of show-business success and international fame” until after his death. His daughters recount their initial discovery of his celebrity status—during an impromptu viewing of the movie Seabiscuit—and their years-long journey to reveal the successful businessman behind the devoted father they cherished.

Readers will be swept into Hollywood’s golden age as Navarro and Thornton-Cornejo unpack their father’s mementos and reveal a vibrant family history. Whispers of Thornton’s grueling younger years as an orphan and work as a bricklayer build the memoir’s foundation, while his booming success establishing a modeling empire well into the ‘50s unfolds with an aura of mystery—who was this hidden man, the driving force behind the pinup girl craze of the Second World War, and why did his family never learn of his renown during his lifetime? The authors, from the start, acknowledge that Thornton wasn’t a fan of revisiting the past, focusing his energy instead on creating a warm, caring family in their hometown of Ajijic, Mexico.

The Merchant of Venus is a fascinating glimpse into early 20th century American entertainment, complete with remarkable photographs, engrossing looks at the New York ad world, and tidbits of the famous names Thornton discovered, like Grace Kelly and Lauren Bacall. The back stretch gets wrapped up in the legal troubles that ruined his reputation during the McCarthy era—the catalyst for his retirement and subsequent move to Mexico—but the book’s enduring legacy is a portrait of a passionate family man “who lived in the hearts of many people, but most of all his wife and children.”

Takeaway: Loving tribute to the life and legend of modeling pioneer Walter Thornton.

Comparable Titles: Graham Bannock’s Hollywood Lives, Sam Irvin’s Kay Thompson.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about The Merchant of Venus: The Life of Walter Thornton

Mechanical Engineer Kalogiannidis debuts with a thorough, practical guide to mastering the inductive reasoning tests that are increasingly sprung on candidates for jobs at “top–tier employers/multinational companies” as part of a pre-assessment process. Kalogiannidis makes the case that, rather than being annoyed or intimidated by this new-ish step, job-seekers should see the tests as an opportunity, both to “obtain additional credentials—without any extra cost” by demonstrating one’s excellence and also to “practice and hone” the skills that such tests probe. The bulk of this volume is thirteen sample tests, with several hundred questions, presenting one test “task” on each page.

Each task, representative of the challenges on actual tests, presents a row or rows of shapes and patterns, with the final entry in the sequence left for the reader to determine based on what patterns and rules can be discerned. A row of possible answers is below, and Kalogiannidis offers clarifying explanations of why one answer is correct. The sample tests are varied and challenging, ramping up in difficulty, introducing a host of different types of patterns and rules—they’re also satisfying to work through, especially once one has become familiar with various types of form and sequence and confident in when to make an intuitive leap. Kalogiannidis’s claim, in an introduction, that “Anyone with no severe mental impairment” can excel at these tests may be impolitic, but readers will have ample opportunity to push themselves and improve. (The tests are polished, professional, and illuminating, though that introduction could use a copyedit.)

Supplementing these sample questions are Kalogiannidis’s clear-eyed tips for preparing for tests and avoiding common pitfalls, which offer both general and highly specific guidance, as well as a library of the patterns and rules that tend to appear in such tests. This is a sharply honed tool that will benefit anyone facing an inductive reasoning test.

Takeaway: Practical, clarifying guide to inductive reasoning tests, packed with sample questions.

Comparable Titles: How2Become’s Inductive Reasoning Tests.

Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: A
Editing: B
Marketing copy: B

Click here for more about Mastering Inductive Reasoning Tests